What A Day Immigration Lawyer Details Horrific Conditions at ICE Detention Centers
7 snips
Jul 25, 2025 Katie Blankenship, an attorney and co-founder of Sanctuary of the South, shares her insights on the appalling conditions in ICE detention centers. She highlights the alarming realities detainees face, from inadequate medical care to barriers in accessing legal representation. Personal stories reveal severe neglect and abuse of individuals like Alexis and Michael Borrego. The discussion also touches on the harmful effects of racialized language in the immigration system and its role in dehumanizing immigrants, urging a shift in public perception and policy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Lawyers Blocked from Clients
- Katie Blankenship described severe blocks to attorneys contacting their clients in ICE detention centers recently.
- Attempts to email or schedule legal visits were repeatedly ignored or met with technical issues, creating a "delay black hole soup."
Denied Legal Visitation at Everglades
- Katie Blankenship attempted to visit six detained clients at the Everglades pop-up center but was stopped at a police checkpoint.
- She was given a form but told to leave with only a promise of a call to schedule visits, which never happened.
Medical Neglect Leading to Death
- Katie shared a distressing case of Maxim Cherniak who died brain dead in Miami's Crome detention after denied medical care.
- She witnessed men forced to sleep standing in a small room lacking water and basic necessities.
